If you had to choose what ‘anime (manga) universe’ you could be in and become a mecha pilot there (with your own machine of course) what would it be? Being a shameless mecha fan(tard), of course this is SRS BSNS. What are the considerations? How much would storyline context play a part (i.e. piloting the Tenggen Toppa Guren Lagann won’t be as fun because it appears only to fight the final battle)? I’m going to work through these here, arriving at a clear choice among my top three options.

Considerations

Pilots’ status in society in subject anime universe: If I were a Zentraedi pilot in Macross, there simply was no other life — and I wouldn’t have ‘culture’ lol. If I were some Newtype fighter jock in Gundam, I’d be pretty special. If I were a Topless in Diebuster! I’d have too short a career and my post-pilot life seems so devastatingly painful. I want to make clear that what I’m looking at is a ‘career’ as a mecha pilot, not just being one to save the day in the final battle. There will be long grinds, so we better consider a gig that will be enjoyable beyond the fighting. I’d understand if no one wants to be a police grunt/salaryman from Patlabor.

Average power of mecha in the subject anime universe: I want to disallow extreme final versions of super robots simply because they’re there for final battle purposes (or as the final boss). You don’t get to start having the best machine and the highest hero rank at the beginning of your career, so you don’t get to be Evoluder Guy Shishio piloting the Genesic Gao Gai Gar (or even Setsuna F. Seiei in the Gundam 00 Raiser), just no. You needn’t be average yourself; say if you choose to be a Knightmare Frame pilot in Code Geass, I guess anyone outside the elite Knights of Britannia and their KFs are okay.

Style of combat in the subject anime universe: If you enjoy throwing boulders like Ganmen in TTGL, go for it. You may want fast aerial/space battles as can be found in Gundam. You may prefer dogfights like in Macross. Hell, you may even enjoy sky surfing with LFOs in Eureka SeveN. This is completely subjective, so I wouldn’t blame anyone for avoiding the grisly and chaotic scopedog combat from Armored Trooper VOTOMS.

These are pretty simple considerations, and allows for much subjectivity. Sure I expect many of you will min/max your way through this, but it’s all about your own enjoyment. Here are my personal results, ranked least to best.

The Top Three

Gundam Fighter, Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Yes, I went there. First of all, Gundam Fighters are awesome. They are nearly super-powered in terms of general fighting ability (some of them clearly are). All Gundam Fighters are the best their nations can field and some of them enjoy superstar status [i.e. Chibodee Crockett from Neo-A(pause)merica, who also enjoys his own support team comprised entirely of hawt women; Domon Kasshu of Neo-Japan has Rain Mikamura (lovely!); but Master Asia of Neo-Hong Kong is too awesome to need a support crew]. The participants in the Gundam Fight are all Gundams, in this case all superprototypes and are massively powerful super robots (though a lot of them are complete lulz). The style of fighting is one-on-one duels, which is romantic and dignified. What also appeals to me is the decidedly non-fatal nature of the combat. It’s more a competitive sporting match rather than a war.

Variable Fighter Pilot, (SMS) Macross Frontier

Firstly, the whole fighter-jock thing appeals to me (I saw Top Gun as a kid, but I saw SDF-Macross first). I get to be special, even if I’m not royalty (in Macross II: Lovers Again, ace pilots are treated like idols, but I don’t think that’s even necessary); and in Macross 7, you get to actually be a rockstar pilot.I love the VF 25 Messiah. It’s probably my favorite all-time mecha (for now, since Macross as a franchise thankfully isn’t done). The very idea of a transformable fighter w/ three forms for me is the ideal in versatility in real robot anime; even if there are hardly ever any superprototypes. Also, I favor the very fast-paced dogfight-style of aerial and space combat, it’s gorgeous to watch and probably such a rush to live through (just ask Isamu Dyson).

Headdliner, Five Star Stories

The headdliners are genetically awesome humans. They are many times stronger, quicker, and overall more powerful. Only they can pilot the Mortar Headds(as the mecha in this manga/show are called). Even at their genetic superiority, they cannot pilot mortar headds alone. They need the assistance of artificial human computers called Fatimas who are all designed to be as hawt as possible. Fatimas choose their masters (yes, I get to be her master), and always choose the strongest available. Lastly, headdliners are often the cream of society and are either celebrities, nobility/royalty, or both. Mortar headds are to me, some of the most beautifully designed mecha, and are as strong as super robots even though the narrative is decidedly that of a real robot aesthetic. The combat is both lumbering and elegant; which is tough to imagine, but there it is. Mortar headds are ground-based in almost all cases, but to me is far more appealing to the very fun but infuriating style of Battle Tech/Mechwarrior.

We have a winner! I want to be a headdliner in the Eastern Mirage Corps., a Mirage Knight serving directly under the Emperor of Light Amaterasu, with a Chrome Ballanche masterpiece Fatima. The great part about Five Star Stories is that there will be opportunities for something like this to happen, even if I’m a headdliner without credentials — as long as I have skill and luck (and yes, luck is one of my skills).

It’s your turn! Using the considerations provided, in what anime would you be a mecha pilot in? Tell us about your ‘life/career?’

Further Reading

Character prototypes in mecha anime over the years (Kaioshin_Sama 2009/07/04).

What the heck are real robots and super robots, and how the frick can I tell the difference? (Vendredi2009/04/20)

I would wrestle with your point about no one wanting to work as member of the Patlabor team. Despite the tough and often-boring job of standby duty, I’d love to work with such wonderful machines (and people!). I just love the concept of mecha combat in a police perspective.

The Original Generation universe of Super Robot Wars is rife with everything from aliens to espers to time travelers (I kid you not) and it has almost every kind of mecha available (from grunt mechs to advanced prototypes to magical machines to mechanized mythical beasts). I’d probably be a Mao Industries test pilot working on the Huckebein series.

I just don’t expect people to fantasize about being salarymen, despite having mecha. This is not to say that Patlabor isn’t awesome, only that I’d find it less preferable for people given that there are more fantastic things to fantasize about.

Test pilot work is awesome, I imagine. If there are time travelers around, you can even find out about future tech and modify your testing activities accordingly.

Seconding Schneider’s point about working as part of the Patlabor team or more normal mecha. I’d definitely go for something like that. While lately I keep thinking that I’m starting to prefer Macross as a franchise to Gundam, I’d have to go with an Earth Federation spaced-based GM pilot starting off in the One Year War and moving through the different events of 0083 and Zeta. Mecha-wise I’d want some sort of fairly basic model that can be upgraded or replaced with new models as the events played out, my favorites being the GM, GM Command, GM Sniper II. The events would make things the most interesting in narrative terms for me though. There’s the One Year War, which could put you anywhere in various theaters of combat. Then Operation Stardust and it’s frantic attempt to stop the colony drop. But the moment of decision comes afterwards. The Titans started out as a great and necessary idea, and if I were caught up in the events on 0083 I’d probably jump at the chance to join them. Plus they have those sweet GM Hazels. But then once they started getting corrupt and power-hungry in-between 0083 and Zeta (like their gradual decent in Ecole du Ciel) it would be time to choose your loyalties. Stay with them and hope to change things from within and restore some honor to the organization? Retire? Rejoin the regular EFSF? Defect to the AEUG and try to contain my hatred for all the former Zekes in their ranks? It wouldn’t be an easy choice to make, and it would depend on how much authority I would have acquired by that point. If I had enough rank I’d probably try to reform at least my little corner of the Titans and bring them back into the EFSF fold. If not, as much as I would hate to betray the organization I worked for, I might have to side with the AEUG. The time period between 0083 and Zeta has some of the best potential for great narratives, I just wish more series explored it like Ecole du Ciel did.

I find it entertaining how you really want to have a feddie pilot career. It’s really cute (pardon the expression, I mean no disparagement!). Your story would’ve made for a good manga or novel at least. It’d be interesting to see you cross paths with some notable Titans personnel in their early years: Emma Sheen, Jerid Messa, and Yazan Gable.

No disparagement/offense taken :) , I understand the intent (who says you need Newtype powers to understand each other?) I’m usually really good at sketching out settings and sequences of events and plot trees, but everytime I try to sit down and write actual narrative fiction it just never turns out sounding quite right to me. Even though non-fiction stuff for school has never been a problem. But thanks for the vote of confidence, if I ever sit down and try to hash out some fanfiction on the topic I’ll let you know.

I think we’re looking at either Gundam Fighter for the prestige and gar factor, Guymelaf pilot in the Asturian army for the knightly values and chance to train with the likes of Allen Crusade Schezar VIII or a working member of the GGG.

What is this GAR factory you speak of? One creates GAR. It isn’t a given attribute in some kind of prestige class of an RPG. You can be GAR in a freaking Ball — and even kick reason to the curb (Ask Shiro whose ball took enough slugs from an experimental Zaku to sink a capital ship).

Mecha isn’t one of my core genres, so I don’t have a lot of things to choose from. Out of series I’ve seen, I think I would want to be a pilot for Celestial Being. I don’t really like the black and white picture that national warfare generally provides. Celestial Being works within the grey area, rather than declaring war on someone because of their nationality, or the resources they have, they fight those that support warfare. This provides for quite a bit of latitude as well, such as when Lockon assists Sergei with saving the people from the Orbital Elevator. If they were on two national sides, Lockon would probably have been subjected to a court martial and tossed in the brig. As it was, Tieria didn’t approve of the action because he gave away information, and much less so for assisting an “enemy.”

On that note, I’d like Gundam Dynames and its iterations. In more tactical genres, I prefer the support roles and a slower method of play. Piloting a sniper mech still has a sense of urgency and requires hairtrigger reflexes, mind you. But it also usually keeps you out of the action and gives you a lot of time to plan and to pick and choose your fights. Also, the sniper usually has the best view of the flow of battle from within the field itself, only surpassed by the tacticians watching from afar. Just please don’t let me kill myself in a bid for revenge.

Personally, I think the popularity of the sniper mech is due to the popularity of FPS video games. Missiles are far better weapons with much greater range than sniper rifles and yet Gundam and Macross introduced them in their latest TV series.

That said, I don’t deny how cool the idea is. Although, it’s really a waste for all that armor to be staying away from assault range.

I admire your mention of Gundam Fighters I hate the lack of mention of Schwartz and Allenby…

Still First round pick would be a Mobile Fighter if only for the chance to meet heroes like Master Asia and Schwartz. Also the best way to lose in life is to lose to Allenby…

Second would be a VF pilot since the humble VFs make up the mainstay of my grunt preferences for mecha. Also I would LISTEN TO BASARA’S and SHERYL’s SONG and go for the chance to see my Alto-hime perform Sakura-hime Azuma Bunsho.

Third would be a tie between Patlabor and joining the EFSF. Patlabor because there are much clearer rules of engagement and there is not nearly as much public hostility. Joining the EFSF would be a chance to KILL ZEKES KILL ZEKES and KILL MORE ZEKES so that the words Zeon, Neo-Zeon, and Zabi will only be spoken in the depths of hell…

When I wrote this post almost a year ago, I haven’t gotten to the point where Schwartz entered the show, much less Allenby!

‘Humble’ VF? Comrade there is NOTHING humble about that glorious machine of unparalleled versatility. While mobile suits are overspecialized and often underpowered, VFs are outfitted contingent on the mission. Granted most of the time then it was all about dropping as many regults (not that difficult) as possible before their numbers run you over, but the modular pack system allows for a very, very sophisticated robot fighter.

Oh yeah, it transforms — easily enabling it to perform bombing missions, at Gerwalk it can act like how helicopter gunships perform, and at battloid it can look real cool wearing a Zentraedi uniform…

Five Star Stories is an excellent choice – the mech, the wealth, and the girl all in one package. Escaflowne is another anime mecha universe I’d go for also.

It’s interesting that you make the comparison to Battletech/Mechwarrior though – if you’re familiar with the backstory of the Battletech games, the social structure of the earlier eras (around 3025 AD) actually mirrors FSS very closely – mech pilots; known as “Mechwarriors” are often of higher social classes, and their ‘mechs are usually heirlooms passed down in a hereditary manner, with mechwarrior families expected to levy troops and serve as part of their House.

Actually, another interesting thought this kind of raises is what makes a good mecha anime series, versus what makes a good mecha game. Stuff like Bokurano, Evangelion, and Gurren Lagann make for great stories but not necessarily enthralling gameplay. Some of the interesting universes I’d consider being a pilot from mecha games, with reasons for and against included:

-Near-future settings such as the Wanzers of the Front Mission series, or the Vertical Tanks of the Steel Battalion series. Closest anime equivalent would be F.L.A.G. or Gasaraki. Usually feature similar geopolitical arrangements to today – maybe with some nations shifted around or amalgamated. Generally pretty normal overall, which would be a plus – not a whole lot of adjustment needed.

-High-tech futures, such as the the megacorporation-employed Ravens of Armored Core, or the Orbital Frames from Zone of the Enders. Closest anime equivalent might be Macross, I guess? In hindsight I actually probably wouldn’t be too big on jumping into a Raven’s cockpit; the ‘mechs are nice, but the settings tend to be somewhat grim and dark.

-Historical or past settings, like the steampunk spirit-armours of Sakura Taisen. Closest anime equivalent is probably Escaflowne. Or maybe Idolm@ster, if you’re fixated more on the female piloting restriction. This one would be a nice choice too – it’s in the 1930s with mecha, and you’re the only guy in an otherwise all-female squadron.

Oh, and to pick a specific choice from the games listed, I’d say maybe a wanzer reservist in the UCS Army would be nice, hopefully in some sort of electronic warfare role. Canadian division of course so I wouldn’t have to move, which means I’d likely get a crack at some Freyman-manufactured wanzers like the Stork, Avenir, or Cheyenne; or maybe a Diable Avionics Frost imported up from the U.S.A. – part of what makes the Front Mission universe so interesting is how globalized it is.

Front Mission is such WIN. Well, except for those crazy methane powered Wanzers that that Singaporean(?) weirdo invented in FM III. But I’d love to even just file the paperwork for the UCS or OCU Wanzers, hehe. EC, much like the hardware of the real-world EU, failed to impress me though.

But, but, they’ve got… Schnecke! Which builds the… Cicada… okay, yeah, you might be onto something. Well, to be fair, only Front Mission 4 was fairly E.C. centric, so we haven’t seen as much of them as say the UCS or OCU.

Yeah you’re right about the Star League era, or even the Succession Wars era where the dominant Mechwarriors possess pedigree and standing. Just don’t go to Solaris VII. Even among the clans the mechwarrior is the most prestigious class.

But what I find awkward in mechwarrior is how s_l_o_w battlemechs are, to the point it’s just hilarious how any decent helicopter or other gunship support won’t lay waste to regiments of these machines. Now, I played the early video games too, but I also played CBT, the classic MW RPG, the collectible card game, AND the WizKids miniatures game (ghostlightning was a terrible and terrifying troll in the old MW:DA Philippines forums. I won tournaments regularly, but I wasn’t even the best player in the family. That would be my kid bro who became the 1st Philippine MW:DA champion.

But well, the miniatures game sucked ass so by 2006 I was completely out of it.

I was only able to play Front Mission 2, but boy did I love it! I mean, it suffers from the same problems of Battletech (too easy to kill using gunships and aircraft if any sense was allowed to prevail), but if the conceit is allowed it’s really fun precisely because of the contemporary feel of the economics and geopolitics.

In the later games they’ve added roller shoes a la VOTOMS or Code Geass, and helicopters are quite terrifying by Front Mission 5, but on the flip side, they keep getting bigger – in Front Mission 1 they’re actually smaller than a VOTOMs suit, but the more recent games have them around 2 stories high – so some suspension of disbelief is still required.

wow those last two pictures sure are beautiful, not surprised at your choice.

I have so pathetically little list of mecha anime to choose from…but from what little I’ve seen, I would go with Code Geass taking your ‘considerations’. It’d be interesting to be born in a noble family, learn to pilot from young age, and because I will be extremely good at it(!), my commander will recommend me to work under Cornelia’s team. Cornelia will then recognise my awesome combat skills in one of her battle against Lelouch, or even better, I’ll save her from being demolished by Zero like Suzaku! Then she’ll make me her knight, and we’ll make many love on the way!

Horrible fanfics aside, I liked the ground battle mechanisms in CG, it had LOT of similarities with how battles unfolded in RoTK (discussed this with one of RoTK fan in other forum while CG was airing). This was before mechas gained floating devices+imba weapons in Geass R2 though.

I do think that Code Geass brought large scale tactics into the ground-based mecha genre. Gundam in its many incarnations did rather little of this, most notable is the very recent (2009) MS Igloo 2 (ep 03). Even so, the battle (as canonically historic as it was) did not focus on tactics the same way as the Battle of Narita unfolded in S1: https://ghostlightning.wordpress.com/2009/03/14/narita/

Oh, if you read that post by mechafetish you may find yourself as one of the characters sitting in Guilford’s lecture ^_~

I’m the perfect age to be the next up and coming whiny Feddie Gundam pilot. If all goes accordingly I should be able to find a Gundam if I wander off while my colony is getting blown to smithereens. I’ll hop in, learn how to draw the saber in thirty seconds, blow up a Zaku-like object or two, and then it’ll all be smooth sailing from there. Screw ReZELs, why go the long way and enlist?

I’d actually rather not risk my life fighting off evildoers in a giant robot at all, but if I had to, I choose teen MS pilot because of the breathing space it allows me. I’m expected to complain.

Haha! You got that right, sort of. Knowing me, I’d start off probably as staff in the ship, maybe in the IT Dept. I guess my career path could also branch to development projects for advanced VFs or cybernetics or singing AI, but if there is an opportunity to be in the bridge of a Macross-class ship, I’d take it. I’d fancy being the helmsman before I become captain, so I guess I still want to pilot, just that I’d prefer it to be a Macross-class ship.

Personally, I’d love to be a Mechwarrior in Battletech. It’s not about the prestige, or the visceral thrill of killing an enemy, but for the sheer joy of participating in a universe I love.

Realistically, I’d be a mercenary Mechwarrior under one of the merc groups, probably the Gray Death Legion, the Kell Hounds or Hanson’s Roughriders. And then I’d get testicular cancer from sitting on top of a fusion reactor for extended periods of time and DIE.

Gundam Fighter fuck yes. I’d be FUUNSAIKI, because FUUNSAIKI is the best horse ever. Failing that, I’d be Neo Singapore’s pick for the next Fight. And my Gundam would be on a mecha horse. Wielding a spear. Doing massive COUCHED LANCE DAMAGE to pretty much everyone I meet. Also I’d have a heat greatsword to cleave my enemies into two. :3

Striking closer to being a merc in Battletech is being a Breaker in COMBAT MECHA XABUNGLE. I get a Walker Machine, a small crew, and I get paid to kick ass. What more could I want? If I get hilariously lucky, I might get to be a transporter boss and earn an Iron Gear of my own. It doesn’t get any sillier than transforming capital ships. And then I get one of my new Walker Machines stolen by some young punk with a horrible pilot suit and then I die from falling out a window because I am too dumb to not close them during battle.

And the lulz option? Overman pilot. Since I have to be freaking insane to pilot one of these, I’m absolutely PERFECT. I’d be kicking butt alongside the Siberian Railway or London IMA, trying to stop the Exodus from happening, and then I get to fight King Gainer.

And the other lulz option? Junk Guild pilot in SEED ASTRAY. Just because. Just because.

I’m torn between the rollerskating Knighmare Frames of Code Geass and the sky-surfing LFO’s of Eureka Seven. Leaning more towards the LFO’s and life on the Gekko-go at the moment – would probably suit my personality more, and I’ve always been very taken by the LFO’s movement and design – they make very pretty fights.

I’d have to say of all your choices I’d go with G Gundam. I like the idea of mecha combat mixed with sport and martial arts. I guess once I get around to Five Star Stories I’ll be able to empathize with what you feel for that series.

My choice is kinda surprising to me at first because Top Gun was one of the first & greatest movies (IMHO) that I’ve seen. Once I’ve run through the Macross metaverse like I have Gundam’s I’m sure there will be empathy there as well.

Well first off, none of Tomino’s universes. I like the idea of living to see retirement.

Otherwise, my first choice would be a guymelef user from Escaflowne. They look cool. You get to swing around a really big sword. You’re a knight, with all that entails. And, you know somewhere there’s a Yoko Kanno song playing in the background while you’re fighting.

The Macross universe would be nice, but I’d want to live in the dark and gritty times immediately after Space War I helping to rebuild human civilization than the relatively carefree times we see in Seven and Frontier. I guess that would have more meaning to me than the life of a glamorous fighter jock. That and I like the VF-4 design better than most of the later stuff.

Swinging huge swords while there’s a Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kanno Yoko playing is a big incentive indeed.

The Macross era you chose is pretty interesting. You’d be witness to the mass cloning they did to repopulate the human species. I wonder if they cloned from infancy. That would’ve been a very, very difficult parenting job due to the sheer numbers involved.

I wonder how you’d have felt about the clones, being a natural-born human yourself. In this case the clones carry no inherent superiority over you, unlike say, the Abh from the Crest of the Stars franchise.

I definitely agree about being a Gundam Fighter. It’s like representing your country at the olympics, only with mecha, which is much more awesome.

VF Pilot is also a good one for me. The whole fighter-jock thing is appealing to me (since I also watched and liked movies like Top Gun), and so are transformable mecha.

Other good options are being a Mobile Suit pilot for the EFSF (and surviving through major events like the OYW, Operation Stardust, etc), and being a Knightmare pilot (because for some reason, I’m interested in those). Maybe working for organizations like MITHRIL would also work out nicely.

Oh yes, and something more… normal, like in Patlabor would also be nice.

Much as I love Patlabor, I don’t see how it would be all that much different from being a regular cop. The mechs don’t seem that fun, you can’t fly :( But at least the world you live in wouldn’t be a hellish warzone or anything. And you’d have a chance to do some actual good while at the same time having a life outside your mech, two things most other shows/universes would not allow.

But no, I think ‘feddie test pilot is the life for me. Who wouldn’t want to jet around a desert in modified Zakus? And when you’d had enough of mechs and the army, you could quit and move on to something else. That’s assuming a war doesn’t break out and you don’t die horribly on one of your test flights.

Of course piloting your very own Gundarium god in the Gundam Wing universe would be some crazy shit too. If you only you didn’t have to be traumatized psycho to do it.

About Patlabor, it would just be a regular job indeed with much cooler toys. I look back at the jobs I’ve held over the years and how my attitude towards cool toys I got to use… it’s just never going to be enough, unless I really really was into being a salaryman (I’m not).